Some people wait on life to define them and others design and define life for themselves. When you get that opportunity to show off your design, make sure you print big. Early Eighties In the early eighties, Dawaud Muhammad remembers black homeowners whose parents had migrated to Oakland from Louisiana and Mississippi as his neighborhood …Read more…

“I give them all the advice that I didn’t get.” -Michael Muscadine The weather, like the multicultural crowd, was beautiful. The music was danceable, the live artwork was politically conscious, and the tacos and aguas frescas were plentiful. Organized by Homies 4 Justice, an internship program of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), the …Read more…

“We’re all different, but we all have that love for Sequoia.” -Zachary Hile At the risk of missing the start of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, several generations of Sequoia students, families, and staff showed up to honor veteran teacher Carol Pancho at her retirement party after a 40- year career; she spent the …Read more…

It’s a Monday evening just after 11 p.m. as I pull into the Tacos Los Amigos parking lot on East 14th Street (also known as International Blvd.) I was referred to this taco truck by veteran graffiti writer Ceaver (640, Lords crews), who claimed it as his favorite late night food spot. Known as a …Read more…

“It wasn’t hard to be a Tupac fan when I was in high school,” says Oakland rapper, music producer, record label owner, and dad, Tahajiye Edwards. “But people thought you were a little strange when you were a Freestyle Fellowship fan, you know what I mean? When you showed up dressed up like De La …Read more…

“It’s a participation Sport.” -Mike Hutchinson There are 31 stadiums in the National Football League, and then there’s the Coliseum in East Oakland. Aside from a 12-year fling with Los Angeles, the Raiders have called Oakland their home since 1960. Late owner Al Davis specifically crafted the Raiders iconic brand to reflect their gritty, multicultural, …Read more…

For most Americans, December is usually a time when the normal routine of life slows down a little bit and people reconnect with friends and loved ones. It is a time for sitting in traffic, feeding Wall Street, and loosening up dietary restrictions. Musicians, however, view the holidays as a time to work. While I …Read more…

As I walk down this residential street in East Oakland, I notice how the front yard of every house is green. There are no lawns in this working class bedroom community, but the young weeds sprouting up after recent rains add vibrant color to the streetscape and help hide some of the trash and debris …Read more…

By Brenda Payton OAKLAND VOICES COORDINATOR EAST OAKLAND – Oakland Voices correspondents have written about volunteers who are feeding poor people in their neighborhoods, resilient family members, organizations devoted to improving their communities as well as tough subjects such as human trafficking, residents living in tents on the streets and the city’s housing crisis. Their …Read more…

By Brenda Payton oaklandvoices5@gmail.com EAST OAKLAND — One of the 2014 Oakland Voices correspondents reminded me that, as coordinator, I looked at the first gathering of our community correspondents and said, “This is how newsrooms should look.” The group represented Oakland in all of its diversity: African-American, Polynesian, Latino, Caucasian, straight, gay, lesbian, religious, undocumented, …Read more…